Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Unity, Faith and Discipline - Red, Green and White

"I have no doubt that
with unity, faith and discipline we will compare with any nation of the world.
You must make up your minds now. We must sink individualism and petty
jealousies and make up our minds to serve the people with honesty and
faithfulness. We are passing through a period of fear, danger, and menace. We
must have faith, unity and discipline."

With those historic words,
Quaid-e-Azam set a path in front of the fledgling country which, if followed,
would create a strong nation and a proud people. And, as it should have been,
Pakistan adopted the concept of the Quaid’s words. The motto of “Unity, Faith,
Discipline” was chosen to be the guiding rules for a new-born country. At least
in theory.

It did not take
generations for this selective amnesia to set in neither did it take much time.
All that was needed to lead us astray from our guiding light was abject greed.
And so, another motto was born: “Self-absorption, Self-preservation,
Selfishness.” In today's Pakistan, these rules seem to be working fine for
those who are in power, but at the cost of the powerless. In these times, when
the words of the Quaid could have propelled us to the forefront of the world,
we limp behind because we chose to forget our concept.

All political parties have
shouted “Unity, Faith, and Discipline” from the rooftops at one time or another
but none have chosen to follow them. These words have become an empty motto,
something to get the attention of the desperate masses, who turn their faces
hopefully towards every bright glimmer only to be seared by blinding
selfishness.

One political party
however has been following the Quaid’s rules all along and that is the MQM. It
has always declared its absolute patriotism to Pakistan and had claimed that
its guidelines closely follow those set by the Quaid.

MQM has always claimed
that its only agenda is the progress and safety of Pakistan-- protecting it
from enemies within and without. Since its inception it has been working
towards being a party for all Pakistanis, beyond ethnic and linguistic divides.
It has been successful in becoming an organization striving for sectarian and
religious harmony and united in its goal towards a progressive and peaceful
Pakistan.

MQM points its guiding
compass towards the day when all the citizens of Pakistan will be Pakistanis
and nothing else. Where other parties have exploited the fractures caused by
linguistic and ethnic differences, MQM has been the only party with a firm
belief that one day there will be a united Pakistan. With such faith comes
optimism and fervor to work towards a future which might seem futile to others.
When the Army decided to launch operation Zarb-e-Azb, they had the
unconditional support of MQM and the party declared as much from multiple
platforms. MQM feels that any action that fragments an already delicate ethnic
situation can only weaken the country further and those who chose that path are
not interested in a united country.

One of the main reasons
for the success of MQM as a political party as well as an implement of positive
change is the extreme discipline followed by the workers. This discipline has
been demonstrated within their own organization as well as public congregations
and conventions. People are expected to follow rules and the example is set by
the organizers of the party. Where other parties are saying: do as I say and
not as I do, MQM leads by example.

On the day we celebrate
our independence, we must re-evaluate our path. As Pakistanis we are all
fiercely patriotic. We are willing to do everything for our country but we need
a guiding star. An unerring compass that shows us a path to a progressive and
successful Pakistan. MQM provides that leadership by following the guidelines
set forth by our founder: unity, faith, discipline.